COP28: Seyi Tinubu, stewards, chefs, cooks among Nigerian delegation

Reactions have continued to trail the huge number of delegates representing Nigeria at the ongoing climate change summit (COP28) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

Although Nigeria has 1,411 delegates at the conference, the Federal Government had put the number of those it sponsored at 422

The presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party in this year’s elections, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi respectively as well as civil society organizations had flayed the huge delegation of Nigeria at the summit, describing it as a jamboree and a waste of scarce resources.

The PDP had challenged the government to name the delegates, urged the National Assembly to probe the delegation and asked Tinubu to be ready to refund the amounts spent on delegates who have no important role at the conference.

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Among the delegates, according to the list of registered Nigerian participants at the COP28 Conference, are President Tinubu’s son, Seyi; chefs, luggage officers, stewards among other individuals, including over 50 personal assistants.

The delegations had over 30 ministers and head of government agencies. They include minister of environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Salisu Dahiru, the director general of the national council on climate change, John Utsev, minister of water resources, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, foreign affairs, Betta Edu, Poverty alleviaton, and Olawale Edun, finance.

Others include Festus Keyamo, Aviation, Mohammed Idris, Information, Heineken Lakpobiri, minister of state petroleum, Dele Alake, mineral resources, Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Gas development, Abubakar Kyari, agriculture, Adebayo Adelabu ,Power, Jamila Jumai Ibrahim, youth and sport, Iziaq Salako, state for environment, Doris Anite-Uzoka, industry, trade and investment.

Also, on the list are Alkali Saidu, transportation minister, and his education counterpart Tahir Mamman, of the Education ministry.

Similarly, the likes of FCT minister Nyesom Wike, Labour Bako Simon Lalong Creative economy, Hannatu Musawa and women affairs, Uju Ken-Ohenenya and Niger Delta Affairs, Abubakar Momoh were also on the list at the conference although their specific roles at the conference is uncertain.

Also on the list are an actress and on-air personality, Toke Makinwa, IBD Dende, and two senior special assistants to the Lagos State governor (state lotteries & corporate finance/investments), a member representing Lagos Island II in the Lagos State House of Assembly and a staff of PZ Cussons.

The UN said Nigeria has the third-largest delegation to the event, behind only China and Brazil.

Also on the list are 138 delegates from the State House has 138, 54 from the National Council on Climate Change, 53 from the Ministry Environment, 36 from the National Assembly, 28 from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd.